Amari Cooper opens up about return to the Raiders

While the Las Vegas Raiders are a team familiar with Amari Cooper, it is very different from the last time the wide receiver donned the silver and black.

When Cooper was traded from the Raiders to the Dallas Cowboys back in 2018, the team was still in Oakland. In that time, the Raiders have cycled through players, coaches and general managers. Cooper might be playing for the team that drafted him back in 2015, but this is very much a clean slate between the two.

“It’s still the Raiders,” Cooper said on Tuesday, per Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “It’s nice. It’s a good feeling, a full-circle moment. I’m excited about the opportunity and I’m ready to embrace it.”

Cooper and the Raiders agreed to terms on a one-year contract on Monday, shortly after Jakobi Meyers announced his request for a trade.

Last year was the worst of Cooper’s career, which explained why he was available in free agency until late August. Dealing with a wrist injury throughout 2024, Cooper put up a career-low 547 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 44 catches between the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills. Prior to that, however, he had hit the 1,000-yard milestone in five of the previous six seasons, so there is still a track record of recent success.

Speaking with reporters after officially signing his deal, Cooper is confident that last season was a one-off instead of a sign of things to come.

“Trust me, I still have some juice left,” Cooper said. “I felt like this was the opportunity for me to show it.”

With the Raiders hoping to add experience to an otherwise young receiving corps, Cooper should provide that plus more in his return to the team.